Miscellaneous DIY Projects (or bits of jobs)

[Stanley]

Ken, your mention of the young lad learning to drive in the old motor in the croft reminds me of Jack Emmot at Black Lane Ends Farm. His son Harris persuaded him to buy an old Jowett Bradford van with the idea of him learning to drive.
One day when I went up with the groceries I found jack in the croft in the van with a horse yoked up to the front and the reins passing through the windscreen which was one of the old type you could open in hot weather, I eventually found out that he had decided it would be a good thing to learn how to steer the van without the complication of the engine and gears. Makes sense but I don't think it worked. I can't remember him ever having a license.

[Big Kev]

I was given a stack of decking boards a few weeks ago, there's enough to do the small raised patio area at Chez Kev. They've been used previously but had been badly fitted and with the wrong screws so had been taken back up again. I spent a couple of hours 'descrewing' them and then give them a going over with the jet wash. I will be fixing down some 2x1 pressure treated timber, to the concrete slab, fixing the boards to those with the correct screws and going over the lot with some decking stain. Will be just nice for a g&t in the sunshine.

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[Stanley]

Just out of curiosity, what are 'the correct screws' for decking boards Kev?
(I'd have thought 2" CS brass No, 10s)

[Big Kev]

Just out of curiosity, what are 'the correct screws' for decking boards Kev?
(I'd have thought 2" CS brass No, 10s)

They're 'labelled' as decking screws but are stainless steel with a 'fast' thread. I'll be using inch and a half 10s as they're only going into inch and a half bearers (these will be screwed down to the concrete slab with a strip of DPC under them).

[Stanley]

Thanks.... I've come across them but was never a fan.

[Big Kev]

Looks like yesterday was the right day to point the stonework above the front door. I noticed some of it had fallen out, back in January, and water was getting on top of the lintel and dripping inside. A temporary repair with some 'extreme' sealant slowed it down but didn't stop it altogether. The forecast for dry weather was the prompt to knock up a bucket of mortar and get the ladder out, 1 sharp sand, 3 soft sand and 1 cement made for a good mix that would stick. 20 minutes pulling the sealant out and preparing the joint, 30 minutes filling them back up again and it had all afternoon with a gentle warming from the sun. Today's inclement weather has provided a reasonably good test but I need a combination of heavy rain and a westerly wind to see if my repair was properly successful.

[Stanley]

When steeplejacks are pointing, and they are always looking for the most durable compo, they always put one of cement, one of lime and five of sand. The most durable of them all is made using putty lime after quicklime has been slaked.....

[Big Kev]

After the battering of rain on the front of the house last night there are no signs of water ingress this morning. This is encouraging but I'm not putting the fitted doormat back down just yet, I'm confident it's not going to leak in again but you never know with water. It never does what you expect it to do

[Stanley]

Dead right, essential stuff but sneaky.....

[Big Kev]

Made use of the recycled decking boards today, needs a coat of stain to bring it all together but it's done the job.

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[Stanley]

All this laudable effort and all I did was supervise the Grand Prix in Oz.......

[Big Kev]

The decking had its first coat of stain yesterday evening while it was dry. Still needs a couple of bits of trim and another coat of stain but it's tidied up that bit of the yard, the odd bits of board laying in front are to use for trims.

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[Stanley]

Wood does respond well to stain varnish and oil doesn't it.....

[Big Kev]

It does indeed, I've taken advantage of the dry weather today (cue to release the four horsemen of the apocalypse) and finished off trimming the edges and applying another coat of stain.

[Big Kev]

It stayed dry all day, I got the second coat of the oil based stain on the decking, a coat of white masonry paint on the gable end of the kitchen and a coat of green on the fence and the back gates. That's enough outdoor jobs for now, I do need to level up a few flags that have sunk a bit where the trench, for the water pipe, have settled but that can wait for a bit.

[Stanley]

Bit soon for remediating settlement Kev....
(Give the deck a third coat today, it's going to be fine all day..... That will make it a top job! )

[Big Kev]

The gazebo turned up today, a job for Sunday I reckon.

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It'll look like this once it's put together

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The frame will stay up as a semi permanent structure.

[Stanley]

The weather looks good for it Kev.....

[plaques]

The frame will stay up as a semi permanent structure.

Most of my projects finish up as semi permanent. Ie : they blow down, get in the way, or just a good idea at the time. Our priority is being sheltered from the wind not the sun. Having said all that I hope the construction goes to plan with no parts missing and instructions in English and not Chinese

Being a fine day I shall have a quick look at what's left of my wood shed before deciding what I'm NOT going to do tomorrow.

[Big Kev]

should be fairly straightforward, the instructions have pictures.

[Stanley]

Ken, as I am sure you're aware, the key question is 'What will happen if I do nothing?'

[Big Kev]

The gazebo turned up today, a job for Sunday I reckon..

Well, that never happened. A lazy Sunday with a carvery lunch at Steeton Hall Hotel, it can wait until Thursday

[Stanley]

I'm all in favour of lazy days..... Some people never learn the art of doing nothing slowly! (It isn't sinful and they can't touch you for it!)

[Big Kev]

I assembled the frame for the gazebo today. The instructions, despite being mainly pictures, mentions not leaving it in damp conditions as the nuts and bolts will go rusty (a strange thing for something that's supposed to be used outdoors). With that in mind I went to Screwfix and bought stainless steel replacements. All I need to do now is find something to extend the two supports that aren't screwed down to the decking

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[Stanley]

I don't think an engineer designed that......